1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to CMP equipment for planarizing a layer on a wafer during a process of manufacturing a semiconductor device. More specifically, the present invention relates to a pad conditioner of CMP equipment.
2. Description of the Related Art
Chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) is widely used to planarize the relatively large surfaces found on today's semiconductor wafers. The CMP process entails both chemically and mechanically removing material from the wafer. In the CMP process, a wafer having a step difference at the surface thereof is closely attached to a polishing pad. Slurry containing an abrasive agent and chemicals is dispensed onto the polishing pad between the stepped surface of the wafer and the pad to planarize the surface.
In this regard, the CMP equipment includes a pad conditioner for preventing the polishing pad from becoming irregular. The pad conditioner conditions the polishing pad by urging a diamond-bearing disk against the pad using a diaphragm under air pressure. However, the diaphragm becomes worn out if used for a long period of time. Thus, the diaphragm must regularly exchanged under a course of preventive maintenance (PM).